Red Wicket Market Farm is a small farm 25 minutes from downtown Columbus, Ohio, near Slate Run Metropark. Breeding Black Ameraucanas and Black Copper Marans to the Standard of Perfection.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Egg Candling

We candled the eggs in the incubator last night. That's when you shine a bright light through an egg to see how the chick inside is growing. Eggs that weren't fertilized (something you can't tell without cracking the egg) are called "yolkers," and embryos that started growing but then stopped for some reason are called "quitters." We want "winners--" embryos that are growing well.

Mike candled the eggs in the dark so he could see better, so he couldn't really tell the color of the eggs. He pulled out 8 yolkers. Wasn't until he got them inside the house that he found out they were all the eggs of the same hen. Everything else was fertile. Guess the rooster and that hen just don't get along!

This is disappointing as she was the one I most wanted chicks from. She's a Pearl White Leghorn, and lays absolutely perfect white eggs. I was hoping for offspring that laid large, perfect, blue eggs.

The babies that are left are due to hatch around May 4th or 5th. Cinco de Mayo chickies!